Food, food culture, food as culture and the cultures that grow our food

More raw beets for the neighbours

January 31, 2005

Raw beet ravioli. Delicious, beautiful and here I am hybernating. It was time for all of my vegetarian architect neighbours to meet over dinner. Click below for recipe.



Raw Beet Ravioli Solomonova (serves 4) (marinating time 4 hrs, hands-on prep 25 min)

1 large RAW red beet (scrubbed and peeled)
5 tbs good virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbs rice wine vinegar, OR blood orange juice squeezed from the orange, OR lime juice…
sea salt

1/2 cup homemade cashew cheese or 1/2 cup sheep cheese in a can mashed together with milk for moist and sliced green onion for that glowly colour we all like so much.

In a heavy bottomed skillet lightly warm the olive oil. Don’t cook it, W A R M it. Press the garlic into the WARMed oil, remove the skillet from the flame and swish the pan around to mix in the garlic.

In a deep bowl slice the raw beet root with the aid of a mandolin into paper thin slices. This means you could read the paper through the slices if it weren’t for the beet’s dark colour. Work quickly. Pour the still warm olive oil over the beet slices, add the rice wine vinegar or orange squeeze or lime squeeze, sprinkle with sea salt and swish around to mix. Cover and leave for some hours (or even days) to marinate.

When you are ready to serve lay out the plates in your workspace. Take a slice of beet and sloppily scrape off the excess oil on the side of the bowl. Using a teaspoon carve a mini quenelle of cashew cheese from the cheese lump and place it in the centre of the beet slice. Take another beet slice, remove excess oil and place neatly on top of the other slice. Seal the edges gently, mushing the cheese to form a little ravioli. Arrange the raviolis on a plate, 3-5 raviolis per person is a nice way to start a dinner.

debra at 23:36 | | post to del.icio.us

11 Comments »

  1. what an amazing picture! it rocks and drips at the same time. BTW I had a try of your beet-quickles that I found in our fridge: DELISH! (the cucumber quickles are a bit faint though, maybe in a spicy salad they’d offer some comfort)

    Comment by Kristi van Riet — February 1, 2005 @ 0:01

  2. Come here! It’s light here, in all meanings of the word. Guess it must have been over 15 celsius in the sun today. But around 4.30 the icy wind causes mayhem. On the other hand the sun goes down no sooner then 6.30. I am enjoying long days for the time of year. What ARE you doing there?

    Comment by Kristi van Riet — February 1, 2005 @ 0:03

  3. I am going crazy, and feel like there is a pillow wrapped tightly around my head, letting in very little light. I repeat to myself not to take it personally, each time the sun comes out I am suddenly optimistic and active. Go figure.

    Comment by debra — February 1, 2005 @ 12:10

  4. what is a skillet?

    Comment by Kristi van Riet — February 1, 2005 @ 19:15

  5. a frying pan

    Comment by debra — February 1, 2005 @ 20:14

  6. but it’s called a skillet because it doesn’t take a lot of skill to use ‘t.

    Comment by debra — February 1, 2005 @ 20:15

  7. pure brilliance cubilog!

    Comment by Sam — February 1, 2005 @ 20:50

  8. Why Thank YOU Becks and Posh!

    I am amazed at the faux caviaar on your site. Is there a way for me to comment without having to become a member of Blogger?

    Comment by debra — February 2, 2005 @ 0:19

  9. you should be able to comment anonymously.
    Except I know my mum couldnt do that for some reason (I couldn’t check why, she lives on the other side of the world). I think it was cos she was using old internet explore on mac with old op system. I suggested she try on her work computer and it then worked for her, she can now comment anonymously.
    you don’t have to have a blog to be a blogger member - lots of typepad/movable typepad people join it just so they can leave comments more easily.

    Comment by sam — February 2, 2005 @ 16:39

  10. I think I’ll just join then. My handle will be ‘anonymous’.

    Comment by debra — February 2, 2005 @ 19:53

  11. You call it “cashew Cheese”- yet I don’t see cashews listed in the recipe… when and how do i add the cashews?!

    Comment by laura — August 1, 2006 @ 3:02


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